Mechanism for reconditioning tennis balls



Feb. 16, 1937.

I H. D. JAMIESON MECHANISM FOR RECONDITIONING TENNIS BALLS Filed'ot. 2, 1934 H .0 mm m M/wm 0? 0 w m a 7 m 7 Patented Feb. .l6, 1937 Ma eo STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,070,989 -MECHANISM FOR RECONDITIONING TENNIS BALLS 1 Harry D. Jamieson, Los Angeles, Calif. Application October 2, 1934, Serial No. 746,622

' sclai s. c1. 26-29) A principal object. of my invention'is to restore the original appearance and desirable playing qualities of-tennisballs, the surfaces of which have become worn and soiled in use.

The useful life of a tennis ball, as prescribed by strict requirements of, the game, is Very brief. With expert/players after use in one or two sets the ball must be discarded because of impairment of its playing qualities. Such impairment is not 10 caused by any deterioration of the resilient qualities of the ball, but mainly, first, by a partial wearing off of the original nap of the felt cover- 7 ing and, second, by a slight loss in weight. The

lessening of air friction'and of that resulting from 15 contact of the ball with the racket caused by the )impairmentof the original surface by wearing off of the nap is perhaps to the skilled player the most noticeable deficiency, the loss of weight being comparatively slight, yet both of these results of use must be corrected if the ball is to be restoredto its original condition.

Specific objects of my invention are, first, to restore to its original condition the nap of the fabric covering of the ball; second, to replace weight lost in use; and, third, to clean the surface of the ball so as to present a new appearance.

It is also an important object to simplify means and mechanism for effecting such results, and to provide a process which may be easily utilized by even the most inexperienced.

will be apparent to thoseof skill in the art to which this invention appertains from the detailed description to follow.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 represents an end elevation of the mechanism for raising the nap of the fabric surfaces of the balls.

Fig. 2 is a section on line 2--2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the devices shown in Fig. 1.

Referring specifically to parts illustrated 1n the drawing, l indicatesthe base of a supporting frame of which and 5 are vertical endwalls. Power roller 1 and idler roller 8, both preferably of wood, are each surfaced with a spirally wound band of rubber fabric 9 thickly studded through its outwardly disposed surface with angularly bent needle wiresm. Rollers 1 and B are spaced apart as indicated in the sectional view Fig. 2 and in plan view Fig. 3, so that while the ball (designated by the numeral it) will not fall through between the rollers it will ride freely in the channel provided by their spacing.

Shaft l2 extends axially through power roller 5 1, being non-rotatable with respect thereto, and

of said walls 5 and 6.

Other objects and corresponding advantages trunnions formed by the extensions of said shaft l 2 beyond the ends of said rollers, are jcurnalled, respectively, in end walls 5 andfi as shown at iii-I3. Idler roller 8 is supported by the ends of shaft l4 which extends axially through and 5 non-rotatable with respectto said roller, said ends of shaft l4 being also journalled respectively in walls 5 and 6 as shown at i5--l5.

Motor l6, diagrammatically illustrated, 'is geared in any conventional manner as indicated =10 at ll to one end of power shaft i2.- Abar i8, is supported at its opposite ends on the upper surfaces of end walls 5 and 6 being held against lateral movement with respect to said walls by, and being longitudinally slidablewithin, bearings formed by straps le -lil, secured in any-suitable manner, as by screws 2i; to the upper surfaces Rigidly attached and extending substantially at a right angle to said bar I8 and in a spaced relation with each other are fingers 2|. 22-22 designate brackets secured in any suitable manner as by screws 23 to end walls 5 and ii. In the outer ends of each of said brackets 22 are journalled sheaves 2424.

To the outer ends of bar l8 attached in anysuit- 25 able manner, as by screws 25-45 are flexible straps, chains or cables 26-26 each of which passes over its corresponding sheave 24.

On each end of shaft M is rigidly secured a wheel 21 carrying a crank pin 28, to which crank 30 pin is rotatably secured in any suitable manner well known in the art, the opposite ends of flexible straps or cables 26-46, said crank pins being arranged on their respective wheels 21 so that their respective throws will alternately 3,, cause longitudinal reciprocation of bar Hi.

The process of reconditioning tennis balls consists, first, of treating their fabric surfaces with any of the well known wool scouring materials, preferably subjecting their surfaces to scrubbing by a brush during such cleansing operation, and second, washing them with a solution of sulphate of magnesia and water or other finely comminuted material in solution to impregnate the yarn with a weighting material. After washing, scrubbing and weighting, the balls are permitted to dry. When sufficiently dry they are placed in the spaced channel between the rollers l and 8, each occupying a space between an adjoining pair of fingers 2 I, as shown most clearly in Fig. 3 of the drawing. Power is then applied to rotate power roller I, which rotative movement will, by contact of the balls with both rollers be communicated from power roller 1 to idler roller 8, so that the balls will be revolved in contact with the needle-studded surfaces of'the rollers, a different series of the needle wires thereof, slightly, by reason of the angular bend of the needle wires, pricking the nap of the ball at each of its points of contact with the surfaces of the rollers such contact surfaces being continually changed as rotation proceeds. Rotary motion of idler roller 8 communicated to crank pins 2828 will alternately through straps 2626 passing over sheaves 24-24 draw bar l8 longitudinally with respect to the rollers in alternate opposite directions, thus reciprocating fingers 2! back and forth with respect to the longitudinal axis of the rollers, which reciprocal motion will continually subject new surfaces of the balls to the slight penetrating and pulling action of the needles.

What I claim and desire to cover by Letters Patent is: I,

1. In a device for reconditioning tennis balls, the combination of a supporting frame, two cylindrical rollers, shafts extending axially through each of said rollers and forming trunnions at the respective ends thereof journalled so as to space the surfaces of said rollers from each other horizontally and in parallel alignment in said supporting frame, needle wires forming teeth slight- 1y spaced apart and extending to a uniform distance radially from and covering the cylindrical surface of each of said rollers, said teeth being uniformly slightly bent intermediate their ends so that their points extend in the same direction on each respective roller tangentially to the surface thereof, means to revolve one of said rollers in the direction of the bend of said teeth, a bar having its ends slidingly mounted on said supporting frame, and being disposed above in spaced relation with and parallel to the surface of one of said rollers, a plurality of fingers spaced apart and. extending laterally from said bar into the space between said rollers, and means to longitudinally oscillate said bar with respect to said rollers.

2. In a. device of the character described, a pair of cylindrical nappers journalled in parallel alignment and with a space less than the diameter of a tennis ball between their respective surfaces, means to revolve said nappers toward each other in the direction of the inclination of their respective teeth and means to move tennis balls resting on the surfaces of said nappers in the space between them in alternate longitudinal directions with respect thereto.

3. 'In means for reconditioning tennis balls, the combination of a supporting frame, a pair of cylindrical nappers journalled in said supporting frame in parallel alignment and with their 7 toothed surfaces spaced apart so as to form a channel of a width less at its bottom than the diameter of a tennis ball, the teeth on the upper surfaces of said nappers being inclined in a direction toward said channel, means to revolve one of said nappers in a direction toward the inclination of its teeth, means comprising one or more tennis balls to communicate said rotative movement of one napper to the other and means comprising an oscillating bar having fingers extending into the space between said nappers to move said tennis balls alternately in opposite longitudinal directions with respect to said nappers.

HARRY D. JAMIESON. 

